Jalna
A feminine Indian name of Sanskrit origin meaning "place of water".
Name Census estimates that about 3 living Americans carry the first name Jalna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jalna today is around 95 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jalna births was 1937 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jalna. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Jalna is about 95 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Jalnas were born before 1941.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Jalna. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
3
~ 1 in 114,251,446 Americans
Peak year
1937
9 babies that year
Average age
95
years old
1937 SSA rank
#3,036
Tracked since 1936
Popularity
Jalna: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Jalna by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Jalna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 0 | 15 | 15 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Jalna
The name Jalna is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit language, which was the classical language of ancient India. Its roots can be traced back to the Hindu mythological texts known as the Puranas, where it was mentioned as the name of a celestial nymph or apsara.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jalna can be found in the Mahabharata, an ancient Indian epic poem dating back to around the 8th century BCE. In this epic, Jalna is described as a beautiful and graceful apsara who was known for her dancing skills.
As the name gained popularity in ancient India, it began to be associated with various meanings and symbolism. In Sanskrit, the name Jalna is believed to be derived from the root word "jal," which means water, and is often interpreted to signify purity, grace, and beauty.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Jalna. One of the earliest recorded figures was Jalna, a renowned courtesan and dancer who lived during the reign of the Mauryan Empire in the 3rd century BCE. She was known for her exceptional talent and was often invited to perform in royal courts.
Another famous figure with the name Jalna was Jalna Devi, a 16th-century Rajput princess from the Sisodiya clan of Mewar, Rajasthan. She was known for her courage and bravery, having defended the Chittor Fort against the Mughal forces of Akbar in 1567.
In the realm of literature, Jalna is also the name of a famous novel series written by Canadian author Mazo de la Roche. The first novel in the series, titled "Jalna," was published in 1927 and followed the lives of the Whiteoak family in southern Ontario. The series garnered critical acclaim and won several literary awards, including the Atlantic Monthly Prize in 1927.
Another notable figure with the name Jalna was Jalna Hanmer, a British actress and singer who lived from 1909 to 1987. She was a renowned performer on the stage and screen, and was particularly known for her roles in several Shakespearean productions.
In more recent times, Jalna Abdi was a prominent Somali writer and activist who campaigned for women's rights and education. Born in 1954, she wrote numerous books and articles highlighting the challenges faced by Somali women and advocating for their empowerment.
People
Jalna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jalna as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jalna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jalna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jalna going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 114,251,446 US residents.
Is Jalna a common name?
We classify Jalna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 15 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jalna most popular?
The single biggest year for Jalna was 1937, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jalna is about 95 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Jalna in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jalna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jalna in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Jalna still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jalna in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Jalna can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Jalna as a first name?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.